303050 Tue Mar 28 11:04:58 -0800 2006 16 29 Not About Food 0 1701112 This was the best Bourdain yet, at least of this series, and maybe even his previous work. In terms of being informative about the food and the culture, he outdid himself. His smarminess was at a minimum, and you could tell he was genuinely enjoying himself. I don't know why, but he's at his best in Asia. He isn't quite as know-it-all as when he's in France, and it's clear that he loves the food. Folks who were interested in that previous thread about what happens to all the animal (beef, sheep or pig) ought to see this program to understand what some other cultures do... not too many places that specialize in sheep's stomach around here. That sichuan hot pot in ChengDu looked fantastic - although I do wonder about surviving the next day. Osaka had everything from okonomiyaki to o-toro, and of course, basuboru... Tue Mar 28 11:04:58 -0800 2006 0 applehome 1 1701127 Totally agree; last night's episode was great. I quickly lost interest last season, but I'm sticking around for more this season. Entertaining, informative, and lots of focus on food. Non-food scenes were also interesting w/ funny commentary...Bourdain trying to be centered enough to learn the ancient art of calligraphy, getting alternative health treatment, etc. The food was utterly fascinating for me too. That tofu by-product, the sheep's stomach, that fiery cauldron of hot pot w/ a million peppers which I probably couldn't have handled. I was aching for a bite of that wood-fired, gorgeously lacquered duck... BTW, the show after called "Tokyo Revealed" was rather fascinating too. I've never been to Tokyo or Japan so not sure how narrow of a lens they used, but impact of technology on life was eye-opening. I also had no idea that Japan consumed 1/6th of all the fish eaten in the world. I would love to observe that famous fish market one day... Tue Mar 28 12:20:51 -0800 2006 1701112 0 Carb Lover 2 1701138 I can comment that people who go to Hong Kong for the first time have come back and told me they were in some kind of real life Matrix, it's so fast paced and techno-saturated. Tokyo is even worse. When I was there I looked out a window and the little people looked like ants scurrying everywhere. And for some reason, people throughout Asia just seem to know and care more about what they're putting into their mouths. I'm not saying it's healthier (Chinese food is often quite unhealthy), but it's almost always tasty. Tue Mar 28 12:54:34 -0800 2006 1701127 0 nooodles 3 1701185 To be fair, Chinese food in the US has been anglisized to fit the American need to have a sauce to soak into the rice and to meet the heavy meat consumption of the western diet. if you go to China, the oils they use are not all that healthy, lards etc. but the amount they use is miniscule as compared to what we use in the west. Tue Mar 28 16:09:17 -0800 2006 1701138 0 Phaedrus 4 1701205 Fwiw, lard is generally a much healthier fat than the politically correct American vegetable oil. I totally forgot that the new season was starting. I LOVE me some Tony Bourdain;) Tue Mar 28 17:36:36 -0800 2006 1701185 0 EMZ 5 1701239 Sunday night at 10 is an hour of out-takes, that should be interesting! Wed Mar 29 04:29:44 -0800 2006 1701205 0 coll 5 1701271 Question: why is lard more healthy than vegetable oil? (Perhaps the general food board would be the place to reply, or email me. But maybe it's OK here - cause it's a nutritional, rather than exclusively a food question - I'm not sure) I'm very interested in this. I recently read in the NY Times that lard is BETTER than all the tired old bad propaganda about it, not great, but not as bad as previously believed. That it is, in fact, 40% monounsaturated, like olive oil. But that still means it's 60 percent saturated and turns hard in your arteries. My understanding is that monounsaturated oils and some polyunsaturated oils such as canola if you consume them in moderate amounts to the exclusion of saturated fat actually help to lower cholesterol. What is the information you have that contradicts this, and what are your information sources? Wed Mar 29 16:23:24 -0800 2006 1701205 0 Niki Rothman 6 1701284 There has been much written over the years that the entire movement towards vegetable oils, especially corn oil, and in fact, the actual lipid hypothesis itself, was bs put forth by the USDA in conjunction with the corn industry after WWII - purposefuly converting America away from lard and butter to veg oil and (most sadly) margarine. The USDA interchanged staff with the corn industry in much the same way as Bush's government does with all their favorite lobbyist groups - but this was in the 50's and 60's. One undeniable fact is that the rise of heart desease since the 1940's has an absolutely direct correlation with the increase in use of vegetable oils and the reduction in use of saturated animal fats. There are other factors - less activity being key, but they do not account for the numbers of heart problems in otherwise healthy people. Clearly, hydrogentated oils have been proven to be about the most toxic, so we know that the margarine part of the equation was definitely bs. But even beyond hydrogenation, the evils of saturated fat as a whole have been exaggerated. I would recommend the following books: Know Your Fats by Mary G. Enig - a well written primer on all fats, sources, histories, consumption, chemistry. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with a section written by Mary Enig. This is actually better than the first because Mary Enig summarizes a lot about the different types of fat in the first section (as well as other speaks of other food types and general food chemistry). The rest of the book is a cookbook of traditional items - including great sections on pickling and milk products. Wed Mar 29 22:24:22 -0800 2006 1701271 0 applehome 4 1701228 Hmmm... have to disagree that the amount of oil used in China is miniscule...at least in Beijing restaurants, the bottoms of most dishes pool with oil - it's not at all used sparingly. Poorer, rural areas are probably different but as the country gets wealthier, the Chinese are getting fatter. I've lived here for three years and have packed on 10 pounds to prove it. On a different note - I can't see this tv show here - would love to know what restaurants Bourdain visited in Beijing and Chengdu. Tue Mar 28 21:39:23 -0800 2006 1701185 0 Petit Pois 5 1701236 Yeah, I would have to say that Shanghai is the home of oily cuisine, and is much greasier than anything you'd find either here or in Hong Kong... but I loved it when I was there, and had a face full of pimples coming back (OK, so maybe greasy food doesn't cause pimple breakouts... but something happened). Tue Mar 28 23:47:15 -0800 2006 1701228 0 Curtis 5 1703689 Beijing: Li Qun Kao Ya (Beijing Duck) Bao Du Zhang (Sheep & Cow stomach) Mian Ku/Noodle Loft Chengdu: Huang Cheng Lao Ma Huo Guo (Sichuan Hot Pot) Fri May 26 04:36:50 -0700 2006 1701228 0 pengyou 2 1701193 I didn't see the program - I take it you're talking about Tsukiji. Here's a link to a book that fellow CH Yukari Pratt (who lives near Tsukiji) recommended a while back. She has a short review on the Amazon page. The book is comprehensive - not just about the fish, but about the culture. The first chapter excerpt on Amazon by itself has great info about shitamachi - the lack of salarymen - the apprentice's knifework. Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520220242/002-0933191-6308025?v=glance&n=283155 Tue Mar 28 17:04:08 -0800 2006 1701127 0 applehome 1 1701222 I love the ending when he was eating with the family in the house that has sheltered its ancestors for 200 years. Some really nice thoughts and sentiments. It was nice to see how in spite of the language barrier, everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves and having a good time. Yeah, definitely one of the shows best yet. I think China agrees with Bourdain. He even got somewhat mushy toward the end (mon dieu!). Tue Mar 28 20:53:45 -0800 2006 1701112 0 gloriousfood 1 1701233 I agree with you, I had the best time watching this show! Tue Mar 28 23:05:54 -0800 2006 1701112 0 Donna 1 1701238 AB and China seem to be a good fit; both Kitchen Confidential and A Cooks Tour Have been translated into Chinese and are big sellers. He's already declared his love of offal, so it's no wonder he liked Chengdu. I've just been going through some bilingual Sichuan Cookbooks from China (chowhound deleted the link to the home-cooked ox penis recipe I posted on my website, but you can find it if you try) and was truly amazed at how the use of offal dominates home-style cooking (uteruses, large intestines, brains, etc., as well as the afore-mentioned pizzles). I watched the first episode of last year's show and was completely turned off by not only AB's but also by the production values, but this one sounds like it might bring me back. Link: http://eatingchinese.org Wed Mar 29 02:20:35 -0800 2006 1701112 0 Gary Soup 1 1701268 You're right! The Osaka and rural Japanese parts of the show were way above everything else I've seen him do. He was kind of humble for once, and the food drove me crazy! I wish there was someplace around here (SF) to get the complicated grilled items that looked and sounded so fantastic - one was a grid of little dough balls filled with various wonderful stuff, and the other was sort of a fat omelet containing, among everything but the kitchen sink - bacon! ????What are these heavenly fantasy foods called???? I must obtain and consume mass quantities ASAP. I hate to end on a negative note, but I don't know where else in my post to better place this: I wish somebody would tell Mr. Bourdain that his continual smoking on camera, especially around food, only provokes nausea in the majority of viewers who are non-smokers: a definite "DRAG" - Yuck! Wed Mar 29 15:18:15 -0800 2006 1701112 0 Niki Rothman 2 1701288 well... don't go to Japan. Tony only smokes in these places because everyone else does. Not everyone is as enlightened as we are. It does bug me when a foodie or great chef smokes - the numbing effects are so obvious. But my brother has a finer palate (Id'ing ingredients, etc.) than I do, and he smokes, so go figure... The pancake is okonomiyaki. Go to: http://www.japan-guide.com/r/e100.html The balls are takoyaki (octopus balls). Try: http://homepage3.nifty.com/appu/e-index.htm Wed Mar 29 22:44:29 -0800 2006 1701268 0 applehome